Night Stalker
by Crystalline Moon
Summary: Serena is really getting worried about stalker in love with her. Who is this guy and what does he want, other than just Serena? What are the goddesses going to do about it? Will Stanton and the others be able to protect her? R&R!
1. Night Stalker

Okay, since I never got around to finishing me old fanfic, before getting rid of the computer it was on, I've decided to just start a new one. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned here that hasn't come from my own mind.  
  
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Artemis was bathing in a stream one day. While she was bathing a hunter, Actaeon, came upon her while he was out with his hunting dogs. Entranced as he was, Actaeon could not remove his eyes from the beauty before him. Being as pure of a goddess as she was, Artemis could not allow any man to look upon her naked body, not even as she was bathing. When she found out what Actaeon had done, she was extremely unhappy.  
  
Artemis went after the hunter and proceeded to receive revenge. She turned the hunter into a stag. As a stag Actaeon was chased down by his own hunting dogs. His dogs tore his to pieces and Artemis was happy for he would not live on to tell of seeing the sacred moon goddess into her unclothed state.  
  
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Serena awoke with a start. She hadn't been sleeping too well lately as she had many things on her mind. She was wondering about Stanton and of the decision she would have to make, the one that would alter her life forever. With Vanessa now being sixteen, all of the goddesses realized just how little time they had to make that final decision.  
  
She quickly arose from her bed, knowing that she would not get anymore sleep that night. She got her headphones and CD player and lay back down in her bed. She put the headphones on and put in her favorite CD, "Breaking the Silence" by HaleStorM. Then she picked up a spiral notebook from her nightstand as well as a pencil and started to write.  
  
As the words flowed onto the paper, Serena felt a sudden calmness wash over her. She finished the poem that she was writing just as her favorite song, "Rose in December" came to an end. At that Serena went and sat the notebook down on her desk. She then lay back down to try and get more sleep. Within moments her eyes were shut and she was dreaming of what would come. In her dream the decision seemed so easy, but it couldn't really be that easy, could it?  
  
When she awoke the next morning, Serena found a piece of paper lying next to her poem. In nice script someone had written, "Great use of feeling, little one. Such emotions: the fear, the confusion. It all just mesmerized me. Write some more for me, my sweet angel from afar."  
  
Who could this be? Serena wondered to herself. It couldn't have been any of the other goddesses, this sounded too much like a guy for it to be one of them. Serena instantly believed she knew who had read her poem, and she finished getting ready so she could bolt off for school.  
  
As she met up with the rest of the goddesses, Serena saw Stanton standing off a ways, studying her every move as he still did quite often. She walked away from her friends and went over to his hiding spot. "What were you doing in my room last night, Stanton? I told you we can't be together and I meant it. You had no right to be there last night when I was asleep."  
  
"Serena, what do you mean? I was busy all night and had no time to sneak in your bedroom. Besides I respect your decision for us not to be together as I care deeply you and will do whatever shall please you. Now why do you automatically assume it was I, anyway? It could have been anyone…it could have been one of the other goddesses for all you know."  
  
"I don't think so, Stanton. After what it was that I found, I know that it wasn't one of them." Serena held out the note she had found, and Stanton instantly snatched it from her hand. As he read the note a look of concern crossed his handsome face, filling his eyes with a look of horror.  
  
"Serena, I think you should watch out. I don't know who this person is, but I don't want to risk anything. For all we know this person could be a murder…or worse."  
  
When Stanton said those last two words, Serena became frightened, but instantly turned away so as not to show her fear to Stanton. Before she could jog back to her friends, Stanton grabbed hold of Serena and turned her to face him. "Serena, be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."  
  
Serena turned from Stanton and walked to the others. She took heed to his warning, knowing that when Stanton was frightened about something, then there was definitely a reason to be scared. Walking back to the goddesses, Serena did not let on that anything out of the ordinary was happening, but when she listened to what Jimena was thinking, she instantly knew that they had already discovered that something was going on.  
  
"Jimena, can we talk?" Serena asked, pulling her best friend off to the side. " I know you saw something, but what aren't you telling me? Why aren't you letting me know what it is that you saw? Come on, Jimena!"  
  
"Don't worry about it right now, Serena. Just worry about your own problems," Jimena said, turning away and trying to keep Serena from reaching her thoughts. As Serena probed at Jimena's mind, the horrible feeling within her got much worse. What could be so bad that Jimena was not telling her? It's not like she was going to join the Atrox…she'd been there, done that, and personally never wished to relive that awful experience. 


	2. Poem for Stanton

Author's Note: I'm sorry it took so long to put up a second chapter…I've been busy with my sister getting married and all. Well here it is, stay tuned for the next chapter…I have some ideas for this story that I'm going to start adding in soon.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned here that hasn't come from my own mind.  
  
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Serena couldn't concentrate at all that day. She sat through her classes rather impatiently, which most of her teachers just thought of her acting like a normal teenager. When she tried to play her cello, her bow just scraped along the strings, making a hideous noise. After school got out Serena found Collin and went home.  
  
When she got home, Serena instantly started to bake cookies as she often did when she was stressed. Before she knew it she had baked two dozen cookies and had run out of milk. Crap, she thought. She sat down and gave Wally one of her peanut better cookies.  
  
Serena was just about to go practice her cello when she could just tell that she wasn't alone. "Collin? Jimena? Who's there?" Serena yelled. Suddenly she saw her tarot cards sitting on the table, and she decided to try to figure out what was going on. Every time Serena tried to grab the cards they just seemed to fall and scatter all over. After many attempts at gathering the cards, Serena just gave up and went to something else.  
  
She sat around before finally deciding that she had to write. She put her favorite CD's, one she had recently burned and "Breaking the Silence", into her CD player, blasting the songs throughout the house, and she pulled up her notepad. Suddenly a poem rushed to her. It said:  
  
I know we can't be together  
  
But we cannot be apart.  
  
Everyday without your face  
  
Simply breaks my heart.  
  
We are meant for each other  
  
Meant to be a pair.  
  
We are meant to live each day  
  
With the other there.  
  
Now we are apart;  
  
There's no more we can do.  
  
We cannot be together.  
  
I shouldn't be loving you.  
  
1 But I can't get you out of my heart  
  
Or your face out of my head.  
  
When I'm with you I am so alive  
  
Now without you I feel dead.  
  
Many times I try to sleep  
  
But I can only cry.  
  
Without you I only have strength  
  
To just lay down and die.  
  
Please leave me all alone now.  
  
I don't want to see your face.  
  
Our love was meant for another time  
  
And another place.  
  
You remind me of what I give up  
  
But what my heart wants more.  
  
Yours is a love like no other  
  
You're the one I'm searching for.  
  
When Serena finished her poem she decided that since it was Tuesday night, she should start getting ready for Planet Bang. She needed to stop thinking about Stanton and the only way to do that was to spend time with the other goddesses. She got ready quick and was dressed to impress by the time that Collin got home and was ready to go pick up Jimena.  
  
Arriving at Planet Bang the girls searched hard for the others. It looked as though Catty and Tianna had made it and that Vanessa was already up on stage singing her heart out. The song wasn't familiar to Serena, but as soon as she heard the lyrics she knew the song very well. It was about teenage girls hoping to just be normal, but finding out that no matter how hard they try, no matter how much they fit in, they never could be…the song was about the five of them.  
  
Not able to handle standing alone any longer, Serena broke out onto the dance floor. It was rare that she danced alone, but Jimena seemed too occupied with Collin while Tianna and Catty were too busy flirting with all the hot guys to actually start dancing. Serena knew that once they really wanted to impress the guys that Tianna and Catty would join her on the dance floor, but for now she was fine alone.  
  
Soon the song was over and the band was headed into a slow song. Serena departed silently from the dance floor. She knew that all of her friends were busy—Tianna and Catty had sure started to impress the guys and had many that wanted to dance with them, Vanessa was wailing up on stage, and Jimena was with Collin. More than ever Serena started to miss Stanton.  
  
"Hey," called a voice from behind her. Stanton. What was he doing here? Serena remembered when Stanton could often be found hanging around Planet Bang with a few of the Followers, but with his new role as Prince of Darkness, he rarely showed his face around the place.  
  
"Stanton!" Serena exclaimed, hardly able to contain her shock and her joy at seeing Stanton. As instantly as the shock had overcome her, Serena regained her natural coolness. "What are you doing? I thought you'd be off somewhere. Why are you here?"  
  
"I came to see you, Serena." Stanton said, looking down at her.  
  
"Stanton, I already . . ." Serena looked straight into Stanton's eyes, which she realized too late that could have been a big mistake.  
  
Grabbing Serena's chin, Stanton said, "Serena, stop. I know that you think we can't be together, and even though it pains me, I truly do respect that decision as I don't wish to cause any more pain to you than I already have. I just came to check on you. I'm really worried about you after what you told me this morning."  
  
"Stanton, I know you worry, but I'm a big girl. If I can survive around here, I can take care of myself. Plus I have the other goddesses, and you know that they won't let anyone touch me, Stanton."  
  
"Serena, I know that. I just…I'd just feel safer if I knew who this guy was and what he wants. I trust your friends, and no offense to them, but I can protect you better than the four of them can. I've been around a long time. I know how to handle whatever you come up against."  
  
"Stanton, just stay out of it, okay?" Serena walked away from Stanton. She couldn't handle this. If he was around her all the time, watching her, protecting her, she wouldn't be able to resist be with him. Couldn't he see that? Was he blind? 


	3. Another Message

Author's Note: This chapter might be a little fast pace at parts and slow at other parts…my music tends to affect this stuff. And yes I know this chapter is shorter than the other two, but that is because I HAD to end this chapter the way I did. Please R &R! Hope you love it.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned here that hasn't come from my own mind.  
  
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Serena knew she couldn't handle it anymore. When she got home she knew that it was time for her to decide. Either I can be with Stanton forever, Serena said to herself, or I can give him up and fight him. I can't go on like this…I love Stanton but if we are together we'll just up end up hurting each other.  
  
Serena silently climbed the stairs to her room. She got a funny feeling when she reached her room but decided that she was probably just worked up about the encounter with Stanton. She went to her desk, taking off her necklaces, with the exception of the moon amulet. When she reached down to put them in her jewelry box, she caught sight of something white sticking out from one of her textbooks.  
  
"Your poem has greatly moved me. I could feel your emotions when I read it. It was as though you had physically put all your pain into that one piece of paper. Please give up on the one you wrote the poem for. He is not deserving of a goddess like you. You are beauty beyond beauty, you are brighter than the light of the sun, and you are more soothing than a cool, gentle breeze on a warm summer afternoon. Serena, be mine. Write a poem just for me. Tell me how you feel."  
  
Serena let the piece of paper fall to the floor and instantly ran to the phone. Who could she call? Would Jimena be home yet? It was worth a try. Dialing in her friend's number, she waited. After four rings Serena was ready to hang up until someone on the other line, seemingly out of breathe, said, "Hello?"  
  
"Jimena? I was hoping you were home. We really need to talk." Serena gripped the phone in her hand. It was hard for her to keep cool when she was completely freaked out.  
  
"Okay, what's going on, Serena?"  
  
"I can't say it over the phone. Do you think you could come over and we could talk about it here?" Serena could tell by the slight noise that Jimena had made that she would be over ASAP. She hung up the phone and waited by the door for her best friend.  
  
When Jimena got to Serena's house and looked at her friend's face the first thing she said was, "Is it Collin? Oh please, Serena, don't tell me something happened to Collin?" When all Serena could do to reply was shake her head, a look of confusion crossed Jimena's face. "What is it then, Serena? What's going on?"  
  
Serena pulled out the two notes she had received and handed them to Jimena. "The first one I found when I woke up this morning. That's why I was so jumpy and out of it today. Originally I thought it was Stanton. I'd confronted him about it, but I didn't believe him when he told me he wasn't the one that wrote it. Then I got home just now and found the second note. It couldn't have been him. He was at Planet Bang tonight. Jimena, I don't know what to do."  
  
"Serena, this is probably just some guy from school who has a pathetic crush on you, found his way into your room and is trying to use these notes as a way to tell you how he feels."  
  
"Do you really think so?"  
  
"Serena, who else could it be if you said it wasn't Stanton?"  
  
"It could be another Follower trying to lore me in. It almost worked completely before; they could be trying again, you know. Jimena, I'm really worried about this. When I told Stanton, he seemed…I don't know, worried and even a little bit frightened. Maybe it was just the fact that he was scared something would happen to me, I really don't know."  
  
"Serena, don't worry about. No Follower is going to any of us goddesses. We are stronger now. We can resist much better than we could back then."  
  
Serena just shrugged and turned away from Jimena. She knew that the other goddesses were stronger and able to resist much better, but she didn't feel that same strength within herself. What if she couldn't resist the pull of the Atrox again? She had felt the dark side, and although it left a blackness on her heart, something about it was still so amazing, so invigorating, and so irresistible. 


	4. Soon

Author's Note: I don't really know how this chapter will turn out. Please R&R. Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned here that hasn't come from my own mind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jimena stayed with Serena for a while, until she was calmed down enough to fall asleep. Serena went to bed, hoping, praying that whoever was stalking her would not be in her room that night. As she sat down at her desk, she felt the sudden urge to reach for her notebook and let a poem flow out.  
  
I don't know who you are  
  
Or even why you're here. When I think about you My body fills with fear. Why can't you show yourself to me? Let me know just who you are? Instead of reading all my thoughts And admiring from afar. Why do you care for me so? Why don't you just let me know? I'm sick of you invoking fear in my heart, While you read of me being torn apart. You could be the light in the dark Or the pain without an end. Reveal yourself to me And prove you are a friend.  
  
Serena pulled back from the desk. Her head was pounding, and she could not think straight. She started feeling sick; a wave of nausea washed over her. She fled the room. She grabbed two Tylenol and went into the bathroom. She vomited just as she reached the toilet. How did I get sick like this? she thought as she lay down on the bathroom floor. As she pulled herself towards her bedroom, she could her papers rustling around in her room. She saw when she reached the room that her window was open just the slightest bit. When she looked down upon her moon amulet, she saw that it was not glowing. It could have been Stanton, but he would not have bothered to sneak in, or if he had, he would have made sure to close the window entirely. Serena fell onto her bed. She felt a sudden surge of electricity run through her room. She did not even stop to wonder what had caused such a thing to happen; instead she went over to where her poem was. One sentence was written, in the most intricate writing Serena had ever seen. "You will know soon, my love." 


	5. No Signs

Author's Note: It has been a long, long time since I updated this, but I felt I had to. Sorry if it does not seem in line with the newest books, it wouldn't be, because this is supposed to have happened just after Vanessa turned sixteen.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned here that hasn't come from my own mind.

"You will know soon, my love." The words kept playing across Serena's head as she got ready for bed. Whoever had been reading her poetry had obviously been there as she was talking to Jimena and she couldn't help but be unnerved. Until now, her poetry had been personal, not even Stanton, no matter how much she loved him, had read a single one of her poems. Now every thing she wrote, every thought within in her head was open to someone who she never imagined would be able to know her most intimate thoughts.

Serena shut the window tightly and locked it. Let me see him get in here now, Serena thought. She quickly went to brush her teeth and came back in to finish getting ready for bed. She grabbed her notebook and a poem seemed to fly from her mind onto the clean white page.

Two hearts becoming one

Two destinies intertwined

We'd give it all for each other

But who will give in first?

Each moment we live

Each moment we lie

Those around us warn us

But we don't seem to care.

We wait for our love

To bloom out of control

Each moment we draw closer

To that fateful day

What will be decided?

Will our love end

That very night

Or live on for all eternity?

Each day I wait for you

Your kiss melts my heart

Your eyes engage me

Yet we cannot be together now

We cannot let this love blossom

Our destinies, though intertwined,

Are forever in conflict

Our hearts, though becoming one,

Must never join together.

Serena placed the notebook underneath her pillow, so that if anyone should attempt to look at it, she would be awakened. Slowly Serena's eyes grew heavy, and she drifted off to a fitful sleep. Shadows danced through her dreams, and the only other thing she could see was the image of iridescent yellow eyes weaving about the shadows. It was still dark outside when Serena's eyes darted open. She looked at her clock and the numbers glowed 3:47. She darted up, knowing something just did not feel right, and she reached to turn on the lamp on her nightstand. It appeared no one had entered her room, her window was still shut tight, and there were no unnatural shadows lurking about. As she looked over to turn her lamp back off, she noticed that her notebook was sticking out from beneath her clock.

How did my notebook get there, she wondered. She might not have been the lightest sleeper, but someone reaching beneath her pillow surely would have roused her from her sleep. Slowly a tear crept down her cheek, and she knew something was terribly amiss.


	6. Trying to Find Protection

Author's Note: Yeah, after so long without writing, two chapters pretty close together. I just finally got the motivation, I guess. (Or I got sick of review emails begging me to update and threatening me if I did not.)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned here that hasn't come from my own mind.

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If only I knew where Stanton was, Serena thought. She refused to open the notebook alone. Her heart raced each time she thought about her stalker. This had to end, but how? It was not like she could stay awake all the time, and hiding the notebook obviously did not work. Serena grabbed her notebook and tiptoed down the hallway. She should not leave in the middle of the night. Who knew how dangerous it could be for her, but she knew she had no choice. It was the full moon, so she knew that at least she was safe in that respect. 

After coming to the conclusion that Collin was fast asleep or not home, she ran out of the house and into the moon-filled night. She sent her powers out, keeping her guard up and trying to keep herself safe from Followers. Running as fast as possible, she was determined to either find Stanton or to reach one of the other Daughters.

Serena, Serena, what are you doing out here, a voice raced across her head. It had to be Stanton. She had found him. A shadow whipped around her, slowly materializing right in front of her with his arms wrapped around her waist. Not wanting to betray Serena's trust and with knowing that he would tell her everything anyway, Stanton asked "What's wrong, Serena? What's happened?"

"Stanton, I am terrified. I should have listened to you earlier, and been frightened when I saw that look in your eyes when I showed you that first note, but I felt I could deal with it, but now…now…" Serena sobbed into Stanton's silky black shirt. Stanton pulled his left hand away from Serena's waist, wanting to push his shaggy blonde hair into his face to conceal the look of pain and longing in his eyes. He then placed his hand upon her back, rubbing it in an attempt to calm her down.

"Serena, we need to find a safer place to talk about that." He helped Serena to the car, unable to stand seeing his love so frail and upset. As he started the engine, he looked at Serena's tear-streaked face, and stepping on the gas, entered reassuring and loving thoughts into Serena's mind.

"Stanton, do you have any idea who is stalking me?" The words flew from Serena's mouth so suddenly that he could not conceal the knowing looked that crossed his face. When he was conscious of what he was doing, he shook his head and pulled the car to the side of the road. "Stanton, you're lying. I could see it on your face and I could feel it. You might be able to keep your thoughts from me, but your feelings can never escape my grasp."

"I've heard some things." Stanton seemed hesitant to say anymore, but Serena couldn't let it go at that; she had to know whatever it was.

"Stanton, please tell me. I know whoever it is cannot be human. When I went to sleep tonight, my window was locked and I put my notebook beneath my pillow. Then when I woke up, the window was still locked but someone had gotten under my pillow without waking me and had placed my notebook under my clock. I swore I would not open it until I had someone with me."

Stanton snatched the notebook from Serena's hands and opened it to the latest poem. He pulled out a note that had been placed there and began to read each word of it. "Serena, my darling, who is this that you torture yourself over? Learn to love me, and I will forever take away your pain."

"Serena, from what I've heard, this is not just an ordinary Follower after you. I don't know for sure who it is, but he is extremely dangerous. I have been probing minds to find what I could, but it's as though no one knows all the details. I have heard there was a mission to get after you again, someone sent out specifically by the Atrox for that purpose, but that is all I have been able to determine."

Serena stared off into space, her eyes misty. Her head was pounding and she was so tired. She knew she could not go back home, not until the morning when Collin was up. Stanton reached into the back seat of his car and pulled out a black leather jacket to wrap around Serena's shoulders because she had started to shake.

"I can't go home, but I need to do something. I can't just sit here waiting for whoever this guy is to find us." Stanton stared at Serena, who looked more vulnerable than she ever had before. I would do anything for her, but what can I do now, he pondered. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "It will be all right, Serena. It will be all right. I will never let anyone hurt you, ever." Not thinking about what he was doing, Stanton grabbed Serena's chin, turned her face towards him and kissed her so gentle it was like a cool breeze passing over her lips.


End file.
